Will make 'The Kerala Story' tax-free if we there's a proposal: UP deputy CM

Ballia: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak on Sunday said if there is a proposal, the state government will make the film 'The Kerala Story' tax-free.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on May 5 credited the movie for bringing out terror conspiracies and used it to attack the Congress during an election rally in poll-bound Karnataka.

Asked by reporters if the Uttar Pradesh government will make the film tax-free, Pathak, who was campaigning here for the ongoing urban body polls, said, "If a proposal comes, we will do it."

"Everyone should see 'The Kerala Story'. I would appeal to all my sisters that they should watch (the film) and understand how atrocities are committed on sisters in a state," he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday announced to give tax-free status to 'The Kerala Story' in the state.

UP BJP secretary Abhijat Mishra on Saturday organised the screening of the controversial film for around 80 college girls in the city. The BJP leader booked a theatre and said the movie should be shown to young girls “to prevent them from love jihad”.

'Love jihad' is a term often used by right-wing activists to allege a ploy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women into religious conversion through marriage.

Mishra said the movie is based on true events and shows how gullible girls are manipulated and then converted.

"The message which I want to convey to these girls, through this movie, is that they need to be aware and should not fall into any kind of traps, and focus on their studies," he had said.

"Must watch 'The Kerala Story' to save the lives of young girls. Parties supporting terrorists and love jihad and opposing The Kerala Story should be banned," he had tweeted in Hindi.

The film starring Adah Sharma revolves around a group of women in Kerala who are forced to convert and join ISIS.